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By David L. Snelling

Miami – Senior citizens are bracing for federal funding cuts to a program which helped them find work and job training programs.

The Trump administration has halted roughly $300 million for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) without an explanation, as senior citizens living below or at the poverty threshold rely on the program to afford their basic needs.

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed legislation to keep the SCSEP funded for the 2026 fiscal year, albeit with a $10 million cut.

If the funds are not released, the future of low-income seniors looking for work is in peril.

Created in 1965, the SCSEP is designed to help struggling seniors, out-of-work people aged 55 and older find work by providing paid on-thejob training at nonprofit and public facilities.

They include working at schools, hospitals and daycare centers.

The Florida Department of Elderly Affairs said the SCSEP in Florida is a critical resource for older Americans seeking employment.

The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, the state of Florida and local financial contributors, with the majority of funding coming from federal resources.

SCSEP participants work an average of 20 hours per week and are paid the highest of federal, state, or local minimum wage.

The program is administered by various organizations, including the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, AARP Foundation, National Caucus and Center on Black Aged, and National Urban League.

The Senior Community Service Employment Program in South Florida, particularly the Urban League of Palm Beach County, will also be impacted if the federal funding is cut.

It helped thousands of seniors find work who otherwise didn’t have access to employment opportunities and training they needed to reenter the workforce.

The program relied solely on federal dollars, $1.8 million a year, to cover its operations with the National Urban League could no longer financially support the program due to its own budget issues.

The program’s closure has been described as heartbreaking by participants and their families, as it was a vital resource for those seeking companionship and employment.

The program’s possible closure comes at a critical time as more senior citizens in Florida, especially those living on a fixed income, are seeking to reenter the workforce.

According to Olderbetter.com, so far in 2025, about 13 percent of retirees between ages 65 and 85 want to come out of retirement due to the rising costs of living in the states including housing, condo fees and maintenance and inflation.

It indicates a significant portion of the senior population might be out of work or seeking employment, however, the exact number of seniors out of work is not specified in the available data.

Janette Campbell, who retired from a teaching career that spanned over 30 years, is currently looking for fulltime work to make ends meet.

But she wasn’t surprised that many people of a similar age are going back to work.

“We are having issues paying our bills and finding somewhere to live. The economy has gone up sky high, so we have to get back out there,” she said.

South Florida, a region once thought of as a haven for retirees, is no exception to this issue, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

This year, the newspaper said that of a total senior population of 34,756, there are 9,149 or 26.3 percent employed in Fort Lauderdale.

“Senior citizens, among other things, are fighting housing affordability costs driven upward by rising condo assessments, higher rents and maintenance costs, and back-breaking insurance premiums on multiple fronts,” it explained.

Financial planning expert Dave Ramsey is offering tips to seniors to help prepare for potential cuts to SCSEP.

Ramsey said seniors should look into states and cities programs for seniors including job-training and job placement.

He also encouraged them to seek help from food banks, local nonprofits and religious organizations that can provide access to food, and make sure to maximize social security, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicare benefits.

“Make sure you’re receiving all possible benefits, including extra help with prescription drugs,” he said.